Slideshow: A Better Way to Glue Up Boxes

I’ve written before about my love of stringed packing tape – it deepens and matures every day. Here’s a short slideshow I put together on one of its best uses: gluing up small boxes.

Using clamps to glue up any small box is tricky and almost always frustrating. The clamps are too large for the workpieces, so even getting them all in place is a chore – if not impossible. If the box features mitered corner joints, the troubles only multiply. This simple method solves all those worries.

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6 thoughts on “Slideshow: A Better Way to Glue Up Boxes”

It not only works on boxes. I have just used tape to glue up a a much larger carcass and it works great. The technique is outlined in a Fine Woodworking article entitled “Strong, No Clamp-up Corner Joints” by Steve Latta from 1998. Check it out.

Thanks. A great tip. I have used the clear packing tape but I suspect that the stringed tape would be much stronger and not break when pulled tight as I have had happen with the clear packing tape. I am now searching for stringed packaging tape. Also, great looking box!!! Good craftsmanship. Thanks Again.

Yes, the regular packing tape or blue tape works fine in many cases. But I’ve had both break on me when I tried to pull them tight across a sharp corner joint. . . that’s where the stringed version comes in handy.